John Fowler of Summermist Standard Poodles

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Preface by author: This article appeared in the Poodle Variety Magazine in 1990 and was written originally as a report to provide a better definition of Poodle Temperament. It has been modified here to be an article.

Standard Poodle’s are great with children and make wonderful loving family companions.

 1. INTRODUCTION

AMONG Poodle fanciers, the Poodle receives a level of esteem comparable to a human being. This is evidenced by discussions with breeders and fanciers, by observations of how people treat their Poodles, as well as by my own experience in raising Poodles for twenty-one years. One slogan I have seen sums it up: "Poodles Are People Too."

Among today’s non-Poodle owning public, the Poodle has a wide range of characterization — much of it is negative, however. Comedians seem to never miss a chance to knock the "poodle" in their quest for a laugh, as when one on a national TV program quipped about trying to run over Poodles with his car when he was new in town. My co-workers see the Poodle as a silly "foo-foo" dog (although they are polite to me about it). As I travel with my Poodles to different places, people tend to laugh at the "show cut." Then there are the people with different taste who marvel at their beauty.

In the United States, the Poodle began to receive acceptance after some hard public relations work by the Poodle Club of America about 1930 (Ref. 4). Although a very popular breed, the Poodle is not the breed of choice by everyone. And so it should be. The very best should be enjoyed by the very best. The appreciation of the Poodle is an entity of value in and of itself. Of particular importance is the Poodle’s temperament, which is the focus of this article.

Over the life of the Poodle Breed Standard, no description of Poodle Temperament has ever been included (Ref. 2 & 6). Besides stating that shyness of sharpness is to be faulted, there is no description of temperament that breeders can use to verify that their Poodles exhibit temperament within the expected range for a Poodle.

Now, why should one of the most valued attributes of the Poodle be left out of the AKC Poodle Breed Standard? One possibility may be that in the beginning, Poodle temperament may have been the best known feature of the Poodle; therefore it needed not be written down, since everyone knew exactly how a Poodle was to behave. Then, as time progressed, the small circle of fanciers had no reason to describe something that was so well understood.

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Summermist Sweetheart Of America "Joy" pictured with Sheila at the International All Breed Dog Show on March 26, 2017.

Today, with over 5,000 Poodles being registered each month, we have a different dimension to consider (Ref. 15). If this many are being registered, think of how many are being produced that are not being registered! The argument that too much being described can be harmful is losing its value, especially when no description exists.

There are a variety of opinions concerning changes, corrections or realignment of the breed standards. Change is always a difficult entity to cope with, but change is not the issue here. The issue is communication.

Today, we live in a very different world than just twenty years ago. American society is a fast paced, urban and hard to second-guess. Technological developments have created a vastly different world over the years the American Kennel Club has been in existence. Our current generations of American youth are growing up in this technological society with interests in computers, automobiles and spacecraft. Are we maintaining an adequate level of communication with our new generations?

The purebred dog has seen a shift in his relationship with man. The use of the dog has shifted from his originally bred function to one of recreational use. Hunting, herding and guarding are all still performed today, but not on the level of 100 years ago. There are a lot more dogs being produced for exhibition in dog shows than for hunting purposes.

It is of dubious value to sit back and say ‘our breed standard is better than most," when, in reality, most are of average descriptive value (Ref. 8). The notion of protecting a breed standard from change has value when that is the case. What is really at issue here is not change, but communication. The Poodle breed, for example, has unique, distinguishing features which separate it from any other breed. This is termed breed type. To change these features means to describe another breed. Such a notion of changing breed type has never been put forth by anyone, nor does it make any sense. What all breed clubs should be doing is insuring that their breed standard is the best uniform and authoritative description of their breed’s type possible today and that it is being well understood by most people.

What is the value of forcing people to interpret descriptions or, worse yet, creating subtleties that can easily be missed by people for years before they, somehow, discover the formula? With all the genetic/health difficulties in evidence today, what is the value of placing semantics and subtleties in the way of communicating a breed’s type? Breed clubs should be striving to make their breed standards the communicator of the breed’s unique features — their breed’s type.

Breed type should not be a secret, known by only a few. It should be clearly known by everyone in the breed. Those who understand it well must realize that they have a level of understanding which took years to acquire — why spend that time trying to understand what a written description is really trying to say?

It is very harmful when a novice comes into the breed, selects and breeds Poodles with the wrong notion. Yes, there are descriptions of Poodle temperament, but not in the breed standard. This is an issue because the breed standard must be the authority for description of the unique features of the Poodle from which everyone breeds. Without that commonality of breed type, people who really want Afghan Hounds will breed Poodles with Afghan features; people who really want Rottweilers will breed Poodles with features leaning toward the Rottweiler breed; etc.

The grasp by all Poodle breeders of the essentials of Poodle breed type is not a common subject or goal among many of today’s breeders. The Poodle Breed Standard, the document of authority for the Poodle Breed, does not contain a description of Poodle temperament.

2. ARTICLE APPROACH

CONSIDERABLE room is provided in the Poodle Breed Standard for the description of the breed’s physical features. When considering the main reason most people have Poodles, it is the mental aspects which we enjoy and appreciate most of all — and it is precisely those mental aspects which receive the least attention in most breed standards (Ref. 8).

A thorough and objective approach is being sought from which an excellent description of Poodle temperament can be created. The goal is to identify the actual elements of Poodle temperament and the behavior from which such temperament can be evaluated. Additionally, there are many other mental attributes of the Poodle, which together describe the uniqueness of the Poodle, and which can be identified to assure uniformity and quality for the breed. Not uniformity in the sense of identical replication, but uniformity in the sense of pleasant and rewarding human-Poodle relations.

As an Interim Article, I have not yet pursued all avenues to the extent I would have liked, but this article does bring together a collection of related information into one document for review, comment and further study.

For this initial article, I begin with basic definitions and history and include as much related information as I could find in the time I had. The following highlights the approach of this article to provide a wide cross-section of Temperament, Existing Breed Standard Descriptions of Temperament, Temperament Descriptions Specific to the Poodle, and the Evidence of the Inheritance of Temperament:

3. Definitions
4. History
5. Existing Temperament Descriptions of Other Breeds
6. Descriptions of Poodle Temperament/Personality
7. The Inheritance of Canine Behavior and Temperament

A summary of the material is then presented, followed by my own conclusions and recommendations on how to proceed to arrive at the best description of Poodle temperament.

3. DEFINITION OF TEMPERAMENT AND RELATED TERMS

In a time when a dog’s growl leads to anti-dog legislation, we have forty-four breed standards with no description of what temperament is expected for the breed and how to recognize it. The existing descriptions of temperament appear to be written for very experienced breeders or for those with great familiarity of the breed.

Experienced breeders learn over many years to attach great significance to certain terms or expressions. So, the paragraph of definition desperately needed by the novice is provided a mere few words with which the expert has no difficulty.

I recommend strongly that breed standard writers take a closer look at the amount of description necessary for the typical audience of a breed standard — such an audience includes people with no breeding experience who may have seen as few as only one specimen of the breed! Certainly the feature Temperament is worthy of at least ten lines of text in a breed standard, if not more.

The following definitions from Reference 5 may be helpful in clarifying the application of such terms to our breeds:

1. BEARING. Characteristic physical and mental posture (attitude).

2. BEHAVIOR. The way a person behaves or acts; conduct; manners.

3. CHARACTER. The pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group.

4. CONDUCT. The way that one acts; behavior; deportment.

5. DEMEANOR. Outward behavior; conduct; deportment. Refers to behavior as expressing one’s attitude or a specified personality trait.

6. DEPORTMENT. The manner of conducting or bearing oneself; behavior; demeanor. Refers to one’s behavior with reference to standards of conduct or social convention.

7. DISPOSITION. The prevailing aspect (view/appearance) of a person’s nature.

8. INBORN. Present in the organism at birth; innate; natural; not acquired.

9. INNATE. Existing naturally rather than acquired; that seems to be in one from birth. Innate and Inborn are often interchangeable, but Innate has more extensive connotations, describing that which belongs to something as part of its nature or constitution, and lnborn, the simpler term, more specifically suggesting qualities so much a part of one’s nature as to seem to have been born in or with one (inborn modesty); inbred refers to qualities that are deeply ingrained by breeding (an inbred love of learning).

10. INTELLIGENCE. The ability to respond quickly and successfully to a new situation.

"Breed clubs should be striving to make their breed standards the communicator of the breed’s unique features — their breed’s type."

11. NATURE. The essential character of a thing; quality of qualities that make something what it is; essence. Inborn character; innate disposition; inherent tendencies of a person.

12. PERSONALITY. Habitual pattern and qualities of behavior of any individual as expressed by physical and mental activities and attitudes.

13. TEMPERAMENT. One’s customary frame of mind or natural disposition; nature (a man of even temperament); a nature that is excitable, moody, capricious, volatile, etc. (the temperament of a prima donna).

Temperament is not a simple feature and it is probably one of the most important. If you had the most perfectly conformed specimen the world has seen, but no temperament, you would have nothing. A dog’s behavior stems from his temperament. His happiness, health, family value and his ability to show all depend on the quality of his natural disposition. The fact that a feature of such importance is missing from the source of integrity for a breed (i.e. the breed standard) should be incentive for immediate corrective action of the highest quality possible.

The above exposition on temperament was taken from a study I did on all 129 breed standards in the 17th edition of The Complete Dog Book. Most of that study was published in the October 1989 AKC Gazette under the title: Breed Standards: Realignment Considerations (Ref. 8). The research and analysis I did enabled me to arrive at a general rule from the descriptive content of each feature such as Head, Teeth, Eyes, etc., based upon what already exists in the breed standards. These "rules" appeared in the side bar, titled Criteria For Determining Breed Feature Adequacy, and applies to all breeds. The rule for the best descriptions of temperament is as follows:

The natural disposition is described along with the expected behavior when the breed is exposed to situations like in the field or at home.

I then evaluated every breed standard against this rule. Those that met or exceeded this rule received a solid square (see Ref. 8), those that fell short but met the open square rating received an open square, and those that were silent on temperament received a blank. AKC’s Realignment Program is having some influence in that those breed standards with no temperament descriptions are gradually including some temperament description, but many still are inadequate.

4. HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS

THERE ARE several beliefs as to the origin of the Poodle. If one reads the background section just before the Poodle Breed Standard in the 17 Edition of The Complete Dog Book (Ref. 1), the Poodle is said to bear a strong resemblance to the Old Rough-haired Water Dog of England and the Irish Water Spaniel. The Truffle dog is said to be a relative and the ideal Truffle dog is said to have resulted from a Terrier crossed with a Poodle. There is suggestion of a link between the Poodle and Maltese and, separately, there may have been a relationship between the Poodle and the dog of Spain — the Spaniel.

Next, the background section preceding the Portuguese Water Dog Breed Standard presents the possibility of both the German Pudel and the Irish Water Spaniel to be descendants of the Portuguese Water Dog.

Whether or not any of these origins are, in fact, true may never be answered. However, to achieve a description of Poodle temperament that is of value, all avenues of information must be pursued. The pursuit here is to evaluate the temperament descriptions of these potentially related breeds to attain a better perspective of Poodle temperament. The following section lists temperament descriptions of various breeds as taken from their breed standards.

5. TEMPERAMENT DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER BREEDS

TO WRITE a description of temperament for the first time one can benefit from temperament descriptions of other breeds in terms of format, content and value. Of particular mention is how the breeds apply the term temperament. Some use it as defined and some use the word temperament to mean a wide range of mental attributes.

The selection of breeds for this section was determined as follows. First, I made a random selection of breeds from each Group, based upon individual and litter registrations published by the Gazette in February 1990 and May 1985. Then, I chose a few extra breeds from the Sporting Group, due to the sporting history of the Poodle, and I specifically included breeds thought to have contributed to the origin of the Poodle. (Only a few of these descriptions are reprinted here — Ed.) The descriptions of temperament were taken from the AKC’s The Complete Dog Book and some of the available revised breed standards published in the Secretary’s Page section of the AKC Gazette.

Pointer

The first, the Pointer standard defines an "even" temperament and then combines it with "alert good sense" to be appropriate for his companion function. An even temperament means that the breed is not characterized by any one disposition, but the breed will respond with the disposition expected for the situation, e.g. happy during play, anger when attacked, etc.

"The Pointer’s even temperament and alert good sense make him a congenial companion both in the field and in the home. He should be dignified and should never show timidity toward man or dog." (11-11-75)

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever defines the breed’s disposition, but then goes into a list of attributes without describing expected behavior when the breed is faced with specific situations like in the field, at home or in the show ring. This description does, however, place disposition as a primary consideration in selection and breeding which is noteworthy.

"The Chesapeake dog should show a bright and happy disposition. Courage, willingness to work, alertness, nose, intelligence, love of water, general quality and, most of all, disposition, be given primary consideration in the selection and breeding of the Chesapeake Bay Dog. " (11-09-76)

Sussex Spaniel

The Sussex Spaniel breed standard is the only one that ties the action of a dog’s tail to his disposition — an interesting note! Also, the breed standard does define a "cheerful and tractable disposition." (Again, disposition is found under Gen. Appear.)..and a nice tail action denoting a cheerful and tractable disposition. " (07-14-59)

Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound breed standard also places temperament high enough to have its own section. Here is a peculiar mixture of elements which speak to uniqueness. The word dignified could be expanded a little for novices and please note, again, the absence of behavior descriptions. Also note the negative is put under faults.

"Temperament. Aloof and dignified, yet gay. Faults: Sharpness & Shyness. " (12-14-48)

Boxer

The first breed I have chosen in the Working Group is the Boxer. The description of temperament found here is in sharp contrast to others thus far presented. Notice that each mental attribute element is concisely described for the breed. Notice, too, that the breed’s expected behavior is described under various situations, such as in the show ring and with family and friends. These points provide the level of description that breeders can evaluate their specimens against and novice’s can grasp how the breed should behave. No, judges cannot evaluate all aspects of the breed’s Character and temperament, but a description is provided for the show ring! Notice one is not left to decide how to apply the descriptive adjectives as the situation for evaluation is provided.

"Character and Temperament — These are of a paramount importance in the Boxer. Instinctively a "hearing" guard dog, his bearing is alert, dignified and self-assured, [even at rest]. In the show ring, his behavior should exhibit constrained animation. With family and friends, his temperament is fundamentally playful, yet patient and stoical with children. Deliberate and wary with strangers, he will exhibit curiosity, but, most importantly, fearless courage [and tenacity] if threatened. However, he responds promptly to friendly overtures (when) honestly rendered. His intelligence, loyal affection and tractability to discipline make him a highly desirable companion. FAULTS — Lack of dignity and alertness, shyness, cowardice, treachery and viciousness [belligerency toward other dogs should not be considered vicious]." (09-09-80)

Words in parenthesis do not appear in the 05-01-89 revision.

Doberman

Under the heading of General Conformation and Appearance, reference is made to temperament, but temperament is not described. There then follows a list of attributes (viz. energetic, watchful, determined, etc.), but when are these attributes expected always? Under what situations and behavior should these attributes be expected?

"l find a serious imbalance in breed standards between the attention given to physical conformation and that given to a breed’s mental attributes."

Experienced, seasoned breeders may or may not know, and new and novice breeders either don’t know or are told wrong. However, the terms shyness and viciousness are specifically defined.

"General Conformation and Appearance — Elegant in appearance, of proud carriage, reflecting great nobility and temperament. Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.

"The judge shall dismiss from the ring any shy or vicious Doberman.

"Shyness — A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination, it shrinks away from the judge; if it fears an approach from the rear; if it shies at sudden and unusual noises to a marked degree.

"Viciousness — A dog that attacks or attempts to attack either the judge or its handler, is definitely vicious. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs shall not be deemed viciousness." (02-06-82)

6. OBSERVATIONS OF POODLE TEMPERAMENT

SEVERAL BOOKS have been written which contain statements and descriptions of Poodle temperament. I have included in this article excerpts from a variety of such sources. I have also included one source who wrote a description of Poodle temperament specifically on my request.

1. Frank Sabella from his book: Your Poodle — Standard, Miniature & Toy. (Ref. 4) Page 10:

"Outgoing temperament is another way of saying ‘good disposition’ — happy, friendly, animated, alert. This is the first and most important quality to look for, and the easiest to find if it is present. There is nothing more exhilarating to watch than a Poodle puppy with an outgoing temperament strut and charge about, tail straight up, head high. Beware the shy puppy. He offers little as a pet, and virtually nothing as show dog."

Page 91 — Personality: ‘ . Variation in the personality of man is infinite. And so it is with the Poodle!

"Each Poodle is an individual and the idea that any two Poodles might be alike in this respect is ridiculous. There are, however, certain characteristic traits, fairly general to the breed."

"Probably the most important breed characteristic is that Poodles prefer people to other Poodles! Human companionship and affection inspire the Poodle to his highest peak of self-expression."

"…of course a Poodle enjoys the company of other Poodles, or any dog for that matter… But these pursuits offer no test for his intelligence as does the challenging stimulus of association with man."

"It has been said that the Poodle’s enormous success as a companion to man can be attributed to the fact that he thinks more as a human being than a dog!"

"A Poodle needs to experience more in a human fashion than do other breeds, and it is this sophistication that lifts him out of the pet category and places him in the position of an interesting companion."

Page 92: His sense of humor is without equal, and these highly civilized traits totally fascinate and captivate mankind."

"…And it is this contrast of reserve and extraversion that there can be noted a dimension, a depth, of personality extremely human in its nature."

2. Hayes Blake Hoyt, from The Book of the Poodle, by Anna Katherine Nicholas. (Ref. 3)

"Surely there is little need to discuss Poodle temperament with Poodle owners, because this quality should be appreciated by them. It is, in most cases, the reason they own Poodles. Will the reader not agree that the Poodle should be a highly intelligent, cheerful, good-natured, responsive dog whose desires are to live with humans and to please his owners by obedience, affection, and intimate companionship?"
"The greatest desire our Poodle has in life is to please, and yet this is neither humble as with some breeds nor withdrawn and somewhat impersonal as with others. For the Poodle is a gay, assertive dog that not only spends much time in responding to his master’s moods, but is trying to affect them, to amuse, to comfort and entertain."

3. Ernest H. Hart from The Poodle Handbook. (Ref. 6)

Page 21: "…The whole history of the breed points toward its extreme intelligence, adaptability, cleverness, and intense and quick desire for the dog to please his master. This is a dog born and bred to many tasks, and possessing an intellectual ability so great, combined with such a gay and happy physical speed…

4. Jean Lyle, from a letter per my request.

"The Poodle is born to attach himself, not to other dogs, but to man. This is apparent early. Only by being with man does a Poodle mature as intended. He enjoys it — and shows it. His other attributes are dependent on his partnership with man.
(1) his ease in learning;
(2) his ability as a retriever on land or in water (his webbed feet);
(3) his natural ability as a guard of home or property — usually restricted to verbal warning only, but if needed, a well-trained Poodle will guard with his life;
(4) his loyalty to his owner makes him like to be admired, but he does not like being touched by strangers;
(5) in moments of relaxation, he shows his particular sense of humor — totally un-doglike!
I have not included his dogged attachment — prefers being with his owner, to independent behavior."

7. MENTAL ATTRIBUTES

AS DEMONSTRATED in the section on temperament descriptions of other breeds and in the section on description of Poodle temperament, a mixture occurs of temperament with other mental attributes. Sometimes, the actual description of a breed’s temperament is lost to the other mental attributes. For completeness, I have listed here 20 mental attributes I found during my review of the 129 breed standards in the 17th edition of AKC’s The Complete Dog Book:

• Active
• Deportment
• Alert
• Dignity
• Attitude
• Disposition
• Bark
• Energetic
• Bearing
• Fearless
• Behavior
• Intelligence
• Bold
• Nature
• Character
• Personality
• Conduct
• Temperament
• Demeanor
• Versatility

The point of this section is that temperament is one of many mental attributes of a breed. The temperament description for the breed should be representative of what is characteristically seen and observed for the breed as a whole. Temporary shades of temperament are expressed at different times by dogs and people, but they do not necessarily represent the natural disposition. Temperament can be, as Marilyn Julian of Medallion Poodles put it, "the expression of a dog’s emotional state." I have met people with outgoing temperaments who were very smart and others who were very stupid. The same can be said of someone with a temper. There are smart angry people and stupid angry people.

And so it is with dogs; intelligence does not define temperament. But that is not to say that the uniqueness of the Poodle may require a combination of mental attributes.

"…an interesting fact about the canine brain: it is not fully developed until four months of age."

I am saying each attribute should be recognized for its accepted definition and applied objectively to the breed. Further, all of the mental attributes must be considered in order to correctly characterize our breed. They need not all be used, only considered and understood separately and totally so that an important component is not overlooked.

8. THE HUMAN FACTOR

AMONG THE considerations for describing a breed’s temperament, character or nature, there is an important factor not usually considered. That factor is the way people treat their dogs. There are many human personalities to recognize and their temperaments have a great influence upon a breed.

Bristol pictured at 4 months with her older sister Karina along with Sheila Fowler

Human behavior study itself is a relatively young pursuit dating from only 1879 (Ref. 19), so the characterization and understanding of the human mind, where subjects can tell one what they are experiencing/feeling, have not progressed well enough to establish generally successful psychological treatments. In fact, we have not restored anyone’s lost mental integrity (Ref. 19).

If we expect a certain behavior from a Poodle, we should likewise expect a complementary behavior from his human caretaker/master. This then becomes a consideration for the description of Poodle temperament to define the range of human behavior a Poodle should be expected to tolerate while retaining the expected Poodle temperament.

9. THE INHERITANCE OF CANINE BEHAVIOR

THERE ARE records concerning the inheritance of canine behavior. This is important because a description of temperament carries with it genetic consequences. This is why it is important to describe the actual breed and to bound the limits of deviation without committing to erroneous details. What follows below, in this section, is a collection of recent and past evidence of canine behavior and temperament.

1. How to Breed Dogs, by Leon F. Whitney, D.V.M. (Ref. 7)

1. Trail Barking vs. mute trailing.
2. Hound drawl vs. choppy bark.
3. Hunting with head high vs. head to the ground.
4. Water going vs. lack of it.
5. Bird hunting vs. lack of it.
6. Inhibited vs. non-inhibited.
7. In fighting, slashing vs. tenacity of grip.
8. Fighting mutely vs. fighting noisily.
9. Pugnaciousness vs docility.
10. Stubbornness vs. Cooperativeness and/or willingness.

While temperament was not explicitly discussed, items 6-10 are all elements usually associated with temperament. Dr. Whitney discusses each inheritance investigation he performed by evaluating 17 litters.

2. Behavior Problems, by Marge Turnquist; AKC Gazette Belgian Sheepdog breed column, Oct. 1988. (Ref. 10)

Ms. Turnquist discusses behavior problems of Belgian Sheepdogs due to the lack of proper socialization — a problem which should not exist, but one that can give any breed a non-deserving label. The following sources are identified as contributing to behavior problems of the Belgian Sheepdogs:

a. Dog/puppy brought out too early without proper initial socialization;
b. Dog clubs are neglecting to put on match shows with ring conditions like they used to have;
c. Judges are putting up shy dogs;
d. Some breeders lack experience in the breed or may have too many unsatisfied clients.

3. Keeshond Character, by Debbie Dorony-Lynch; AKC Gazette Keeshonden breed column, Feb. 1989 (Ref. 11).

In this breed column, Ms. Dorony-Lynch states that breed character "is a characteristic, like many others, which breeders must seek to maintain and perfect." She goes on to say ". Most breeders don’t think of fault offset when it comes to temperament, but it is possible to improve temperament in a litter, just as you can improve coat or eye shape."

4. Temperament, by Mrs. Winifred Stout; AKC Gazette Smooth Fox Terrier breed column, March 1989 (Ref. 12).

Mrs. Stout makes some supporting statements relative to the inheritance of temperament. In observations of her breed for over 25 years, Mrs. Stout states: "…a breed problem of interest to me is that of faulty temperament, which is apparently genetic in origin rather than the result of inadequate socialization, neglect or abuse."

After relating some interesting events, she makes this statement about the canine brain: "Many of you may not know an interesting fact about the canine brain: it is not fully developed until four months of age. Until that time, new cells continue to grow and form (see Dr. Michael Fox, Integral Development of Brain and Behavior in the Dog). " She then relates an inherited problem of get who were extremely excitable and aggressive toward other dogs — a problem which did not start to show up until four months of age.

The closing paragraph for this column provides a summary: "Human endeavor has an almost unlimited power to modify canine behavior. Shy dogs can be ‘brought out,’ and rowdies can become gentlemen. But, as the proverb says, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and, as we strive to breed ever better dogs, temperament is as likely to be a genetic factor as any of the others for which we must select in breeding dogs."

Temperament and the Standard, by Hazel Olbrich; AKC Gazette Saint Bernard Breed Column, April 1990 (Ref. 13).

This Breed Column parallels my concern for the Poodle Breed Standard. Ms. Olbrich begins as follows: "Is good temperament like art? Hard to describe, but you know it when you see it? Everyone seems to be in favor of good temperament, but there seems to be a shortage of descriptions about good Saint Bernard temperament. Unfortunately, our standard is silent about temperament. I write ‘unfortunately’ because without a description of proper temperament in the standard, there is no uniform, authoritative description of the character of the Saint Bernard. As a result we are left to our own devices to decide what constitutes proper Saint Bernard temperament."

Ms. Olbrich is so concerned about this subject that she is preparing her own "description of Saint Bernard Temperament" that she will share with the other breeders when it is worthy. She will have more on temperament in her next breed column.

10. SUMMARY

GATHERED within this article is the accumulation of years of experience in describing canine temperament. It is of value to summarize at this point to provide a condensation of this article.

1. Definition of Temperament

A good place to begin is with the definition: TEMPERAMENT. One’s customary frame of mind or natural disposition; nature (a man of even temperament); a nature that is excitable, moody, capricious, volatile, etc. (the temperament of a prima donna)

Taken with the other mental attribute definitions provided in this section, a firm foundation is provided.

Using this definition, a rule was developed after evaluating 129 breed standards for the best temperament definitions: The natural disposition is described along with the expected behavior when the breed is exposed to situations like in the field or at home.

2. Historical Considerations

The origin of the Poodle is presented as published in the 17th edition of The Complete Dog Book. Reference has been made that the Poodle’s origin may involve the Old Rough-Haired Water Dog of England, the Irish Water Spaniel, the Portuguese Water Dog, the Maltese and the Spanish Spaniel.

3. Temperament Descriptions of Other Breeds.

Twenty-eight breeds are presented for review of their temperament descriptions, of which six have no description of their breed’s temperament. An analysis is provided prior to each description. (Only a selection of these are published here. — Ed.)

4. Observations of Poodle Temperament

Several sources of written explanations of Poodle Temperament are presented. It is interesting to see the commonality among them.

5. Mental Attributes

A listing of mental attributes found among the 129 breed standards may be useful in consideration of the broader description of the Poodle mind.

6. Genetic Evidence Relative to Temperament Considerable documentation exists of inherited canine behavior traits. Further, concern is rising over lack of uniform and authoritative descriptions of a breed’s Temperament in the breed standard.

11. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CONSIDERING the information contained within each section of this Article and then integrating this information as a whole the following Conclusions are offered:

I find that the temperament descriptions of the potential ancestors of the Poodle are not applicable to Poodles due to observations I have had with the Poodle breed and the following from Section 6:

Hayes Blake Hoyt wrote — "…Will the reader not agree that the Poodle should be a highly intelligent, cheerful, good-natured, responsive dog whose desires are to live with humans and to please his owners by obedience, affection, and intimate companionship?"

Frank Sabella writes — "Probably the most important breed characteristic is that Poodles prefer people to other Poodles! Human companionship and affection inspire the Poodle to his highest peak of self-expression."

"Comedians seem to never miss a chance to ‘knock’ the Poodle in their quest for a laugh…"

Poodle needs to experience more in a human fashion than do other breeds, and it is this sophistication that lifts him out of the pet category and places him in the position of an interesting companion."

Jean Lyle writes: "The Poodle is born to attach himself, not to other dogs, but to man. This is apparent early. Only by being with man does a Poodle mature as intended…"

All three unanimously agree that the human provides a necessary component from which the Poodle achieves other attributes.

• The temperament descriptions of other breeds (Section 5) show good attention to temperament in some breeds; some describe other mental attributes and some are excessive.
• I find that other breeds place a very high value on their breed’s temperament and its authoritative description in the breed standard.
• I find an overwhelming tendency to describe many mental attributes to correctly characterize the unique behavior of a breed
• I find a serious imbalance in breed standards between the attention given to physical conformation and that given to a breed’s mental attributes.
• Temperament, and other mental attributes, have as much a genetic component as any physical feature being sought for reproduction, and for this reason, the most true and correct description of temperament needs to be provided.
• Breeds registering over 100 dogs per month need good descriptions.

A more complete description of Poodle Temperament is offered if combined with the descriptions provided by Mr. Sabella, Mrs. Hoyt and Mrs. Lyle will provide a very good foundation: Temperament. The Poodle is a very intelligent, willing, gregarious and sensitive dog which allow him to be the ideal human companion. In the show ring, he is friendly, happy, dependable and a showman. In the home, he performs well as a watchdog for alerting the family of strangers and is entertaining both to himself and to the family members. The Poodle is full of life and greatly enjoys human companionship. Shyness and aggression toward people are not the sign of Poodle temperament.

Faults: Shyness or aggression.

What appears to characterize a Poodle in terms of temperament alone I offer the following: Happy, stable and self-confident. All of this is of no use, if the notion of Section 8, The Human Factor, is not observed. The very best of temperaments and personalities can be permanently ruined by inappropriate human behavior.

John and Sheila Fowler celebrating their 46th Anniversary and 46 years with their Standard Poodles during one of their daily walks.

12. REFERENCES

1. The Complete Dog Book, The American Kennel Club, Howell Book House, Inc.; 17th edition — second printing, 1986.
2. Poodles in America, Vol. l, 1929 to 1959, 2nd printing, 1970.
3. The Book of the Poodle, Anna Katherine Nicholas, 1982, T FH Publications.
4. Your Poodle Standard, Miniature & Toy, Frank KT. Sabella, 1969 by William Denlinger.
5. Webster’s New World Dictionary, The World Publishing Co., Second College Edition, 1970.
6. The Poodle Handbook, Ernest H. Hart (Printed in Hong Kong — no date given).
7. How To Breed Dogs, Leon F. Whitney, D.V.M., 1984, eleventh printing, Howell Book House, Inc.
8. Breed Standards: Realignment Considerations, John A. Fowler, Oct. 1989 AKC Gazette Feature Article, (pgs. 86-102).
9. Honor Our Standard, Janeen Herring, Sept. 1988 AKC Gazette Irish Wolfhound Breed Column, (pgs. 137-139).
10. Behavior Problems, Margo Turnquist, Oct. 1988 AKC Gazette Belgian Sheepdogs Breed Column (pgs. 138-139).
11. Keeshond Character, Debbie Dorony-Lynch; Feb. 1989 AKC Gazette Keeshonden Breen Column, (pgs. 124-125).
12. Temperament, Winifred Stout; March 1989 AKC Gazette Smooth Fox Terrier Breed Column, (pgs. 140-141).
13. Temperament and the Standard, Hazel (Lovey) Olbrich; April 1990 AKC Gazette Saint Bernard Breed Column, (pg. 124).
14. n/a.
15. n/a.
16. n/a.
17. Revised Boxer Standard, AKC Gazette, Apr. 1989, (pgs. 162-163).
18. n/a.
19. Asimov’s Guide to Science, Isaac Asimov, 1972 by Basic Books.
20. Proposed Realignment of the Poodle Breed Standard, John A. Fowler, 09 June 1988.